Frank Frazetta, one of the most respected fantasy illustrators of the 20th century, was inspired in his art by the exciting events of his life and a vivacious, energetic attitude in living it. Rather than being a stereotypically obsessive genius, working long hours in his studio, Frazetta gave equal, if not more priority to actively engaging in his many interests.
Early Life
Born in Brooklyn on February 9 1928, Frank developed a reputation for his interest and skill in art from an early age. Though he loved reading comics and much of his childhood drawings were of fun cartoon characters having grand adventures, he was also exposed to the fine arts and the opera, influences which would affect his work later on in his career.
As a teenager he continued to enjoy drawing, but also actively pursued sports and girls. He thrived in all of these pursuits and found himself being paid for his art as young as age fifteen, being offered an opportunity to play baseball professionally by his late teens, and enjoying several romances before meeting Eleanor Kelly, his future wife, in 1952.
Family and Career
Frank and Eleanor were married in November of 1956. After turning down the baseball offer, Frank began working for Al Capp as a comic artist and continued in this position until he left Capp over a pay cut eight years later. When he could not easily find work in the comics field, he started to paint cover illustrations for paperback novels beginning the work that would make him famous.
Frank and Ellie had four children together and over the course of their early marriage, moved around New York City several times, seeking to be closer to family and to avoid gang related violence that was beginning to become a serious concern. Frank had a dream of living in the country sided and after a significant search, they eventually moved to an estate in Pennsylvania where they would spend the rest of their life together.
Frank's increasing popularity did not distract him from being an active participant in family life and his "burst of inspiration" style of creating art gave him the flexibility to make time for his children. Ellie constantly eager to aid and encourage her husband's success opened a business to sell prints of his paintings.
Later Life
Frank did not restrict himself to paperbacks, and later on in his career he did work on film posters, and actually spent some time helping with a film production. Meeting and befriending several celebrities, he often found himself entertaining famous faces at his estate.
Except for a brief battle with health problems, Frank has continued to be active in his art well into the 1990’s, interacting with his loyal fans who lifted him to celebrity status. With the recognition of his work by the fine art world, he and Ellie had the opportunity to travel as he exhibited his work in places like New York and other major art centers.
Despite his wife's death in 2009 and health problems in his old age, as of 2010 Frank Frazetta continues to live on his Pennsylvania estate and make the most of his life with his children and grandchildren.
Through the Eyes of the Artist
Rather than being a substitute for his life, the fantasy scenes that Frank Frazetta drew and painted were a reflection of the intensity with which he enjoyed the real world. Though he was able to bring imaginary worlds to life for the many viewers of his work, he also captured the magic of the gift of reality with the way he lived each day.
Chance Godwin - Chance Godwin is an artist, writer, photographer, avid reader and college student. A homeschool graduate, he has been drawing all his life ...
